nicovideo.jp
Ever since YouTube came out many years ago, other video streaming services have been trying to find ways to do it better and take its spot. However, so far, they have not been very successful in unseating YouTube. It is still, by a huge margin, the most popular and widely used free video streaming site on the web. It has the largest community of users (with billions of them) and, thus, is still the site with the highest number of videos on the web.
The site also has a history of suppressing views and attempting to censor content that does not fit with its political worldview. This has led to some reputable creators leaving the platform, something that YouTube seemingly does not care about at all.
That doesn't mean that there is no room for another video streaming site to rise up and take You Tube's spot, though. People, it seems, are becoming increasingly fed up with YouTube. There are a number of issues that people have with the site, most of which YouTube appears not interested in changing in the slightest. The ads, for instance, have grown increasingly frequent and obnoxious on YouTube over the years. People have been quite vocal about how annoying they find this, but YouTube has not throttled them at all. In fact, if anything, the ads on YouTube have only become more prominent since the outrage. The site also has a history of suppressing views and attempting to censor content that does not fit with its political worldview. This has led to some reputable creators leaving the platform, something that YouTube seemingly does not care about at all.
YouTube has come under fire in the last few years for their policy of censoring content. This has to do with their policy of demonetizing channels and videos that happen to express beliefs that differ from those of YouTube. That means if someone publishes a video stating a political belief, say, that YouTube doesn't like, they can just demonetize that video, make it so that the user can no longer earn money on the site, or, in the most extreme cases, simply take the video down.
This has been happening numerous times lately, most famously in the case of YouTube?s decision to demonetize Joe Rogan because of something he said on his podcast. Instead of respecting Joe Rogan's right to freedom of speech and issuing a statement about how YouTube disagrees with what he said, they simply demonetized his channel. A rather draconian policy, don't you think? Especially considering the fact that Joe Rogan wasn't even expressing a hateful, racist, or particularly hurtful belief.
There has been an influx of numerous competing sites over the last decade or so, all gunning for YouTube's coveted user numbers. Nobody has been successful in dethroning YouTube, but the good news is that there are plenty of alternative sites out there for you to check out. All of these sites offer a slightly different type of content than what can be found on YouTube.
If you are like many people, then you may have heard of Daily Motion, Vimeo, Meta Café, or D Tube. These are some of the most popular replacement sites for YouTube. If you just can't take YouTube's ads anymore, their outrageous censorship measures, their militant dedication to upholding copyright laws, or just want to check out something a little different, any one of these sites will provide hours of entertainment.
Today, we are going to take a look at one of the most popular sites in Japan - Niconico. This site has a large collection of recorded and live videos, making it a great source of news, live TV, anime, manga, gaming, and more. In addition to all of this great content, Niconico is also easily one of the top 5 streaming sites in the world. If you have never heard of it before, now is the time to learn more!
History
The first incarnation of niconico sourced its videos from YouTube. However, as niconico grew bigger, YouTube began to suffer from the strain of increased bandwidth and traffic that niconico was putting on them. This resulted in YouTube blocking access to niconico. The site ceased operations almost immediately.
But two weeks later, the niconico service was back up and running on its own video server. And on May 7th, 2007, it announced that it would be releasing a mobile version of the service. The niconico Douga Mobile has been available on NTT DoCoMo and Au mobile devices since August 9th, 2007.
Niconico became a powerhouse in the world of video streaming sites quickly after its debut. As of October 31st, 2011, it had nearly 24 million registered users, 6.9 million mobile users, and 1.4 million premium users. In 2012, it unveiled its ?Zero? update, which significantly increased video quality, streaming speeds, and other upgrades. Since then niconico has also been made available on the Nintendo Switch in Japan - making it the console's first third-party app available in its app store.
Design
A lot of poorly designed web streaming sites are out there, and I don't think that I can fairly say that niconico is poorly designed. I think it would be more accurate to say that the design of this site just isn't for me. It's cluttered, meandering, and difficult to navigate. I have trouble figuring out the logic of the user experience as you scroll down the page - the section sequences do not seem to make a whole lot of sense to me, but maybe that's just me.
The site menu bar is slender and stylish, making it easier to browse the site. Here, you can browse the site by Videos, Images, Live, Channels, Blomaga, RPG, Apps, and More. I would like it if these sections appeared on the home page more clearly, making it easier to find each one.
Content
Whether you're looking for entertainment or educational content, there is something for everyone on niconico.
Niconico, a video streaming site that bills itself as being dedicated to Japanese content, has a wide variety of videos to choose from. Some people may enjoy this kind of content, while others may not. However, the quality of the videos varies depending on what type of content person is looking for. There are also some interactive features available on Niconico which can be fun to use. For example, you can watch a virtual cruise ship sail by or check in on live Japanese news feeds.
Niconico has a lot of content available for free, but some of it is in HD. This mostly depends on the person who uploads the content.
Mobile and Desktop Experience
I think that the niconico mobile app is where the company really shines. The platform feels like it was specifically made for mobile devices, and the app feels much more intuitive and user-friendly than desktop browsers. All videos are conveniently archived and featured by category, and recent uploads are easily visible.
The app has a rating of four and three-quarters stars on the App Store, and it looks great. My only real issue with the app is that it only comes in Japanese, and there is no way to change to other languages. So, unless you speak and read Japanese, you are going to be out of luck with this app.
Pricing and Plans
Niconico offers a premium service that provides an ad-free experience, the ability to live stream their own broadcasts, and additional MyList slots. For 550 yen a month or 6,600 per year, niconico Premium members get an advantage over regular users.
Suggestions that I have for niconico
I would like to see Niconico start to expand more for a global audience. They have the numbers, community size, and servers (it seems) to do so? I would love to see what Niconico would look like if it expanded beyond the borders of Japan a little more. Make the app available in additional languages, start to expand into the European and American markets a little. Other than that, I think Niconico has a pretty great video streaming service here, especially for Japan.
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